Easter!

"On your mark...Get set...GO!"




Our friends Choloe, Caden, Tristan, Merik

Merik's so proud of his egg!
Merik took this!!
Ahhhh!






Easter was really fun this year since the kids are both old enough to really understand looking for eggs! We thought it'd be fun to hit up the city's Easter Egg hunt---jury's out on whether or not it was actually fun. The parents were allowed to go in with the 3-4 year olds and the walking -2 year olds. Stupid parents! The kids couldn't get any eggs because the parents were scooping up piles and hoarding them for their children! Seriously!?!?! Poor Karma actually got eggs taken from her as she was bending down to pick them up! Merik, on the otherhand, developed a different strategy-he went for the suckers that were just laying on the grass! Parents left those so he ended up with about 15 dumb dumbs-smart kid!
This year was a little different with Conference being on Easter so we had to wear our "easter clothes" the week before! Easter sunday started with an easter egg hunt around our house. While the "easter bunnies" were hiding the eggs it brought back many memories! When Merik came down to find eggs he picked up all of the real eggs and said "mom these don't belong out here! I don't want these!" and proceeded to put them all back in the crate! Then we got to go to a DELICIOUS breakfast at a friend's house! Good thing I don't have much of a figure to protect- I ate myselft to death! We "watched" the first session of Conference and then headed over to my grandma's for a yummy easter lunch! The traditional food: Ham, artichokes, jello, rolls, scalloped potatoes! We finished by going and hanging out with Pat's family and blowing alot of bubbles (Merik liked eating them -Wierdo!) It was a great day!

I realized I haven't blogged about the biggest change in our life lately...Pat's back in school. West Metro Fire Department puts all of their firefighters through Paramedic School. It's incredibly INTENSE because it's normally a 2 year course they complete in 6 months. He goes to school everyday, all day, and spends the evenings and weekends hiding in our room studying. I'm so proud of him! I can't imagine having to learn everything they have to know so fast! I never realized everything Paramedic's are required to know. They are basically ER doctors on wheels. They spend countless hours learning cardiology, they have to know every possible drug and med known to man and every way to treat ANYTHING all in the back for a car! He's working incredibly hard and has done very well thus far!

Well....

It is well known, really throughout the world, that we have beautiful children! My uncle Brad took these amazing pictures over Christmas that I thought I would share.

I love this one! It just cracks me up! It shows his personality so well.

Our little darling Karma! She's so beautiful...definitely didn't get that from her mom!









And....introducing....the tadpole! Yes I'm pregnant! I'm still not sure how I feel about this whole thing since I've been so sick I can't hardly get off the couch each day. I'm almost 9 weeks and due August 28. No...we're very excited and just can't believe we're doing this again. Lets pray our other two aren't so gorgeous that took all of the options for cuteness already.
Pregnancy...bring it on!

Yee Haw Stock Show Time!

The Stock Show is in town and Joslin had the FABULOUS idea that I take Merik on a date. Since Pat's gone at school all the time now I really felt like Merik could use some individual attention so we went on a date! It was wonderful! He got to pick what we ate for lunch, which direction we walked, and how long we stayed in each area, and he LOVED it!
I just love this picture!

The rodeo bulls were kept just outside the Stock Show and Merik loved watching them. They were so calm but huge! He thought he'd be really funny (and yes I tried to upload this too but it wouldn't work) and make this goofy face at the bull that was laying just beyond the fence. The bull had a trick of his own...he got up and walked right up to the fence! Merik quickly backed away almost in tears. I was in tears also because I was laughing so hard! That bull got the best of him!

Merik begged me to ride this pony and he thought it was hilarious that it's name was Cowboy!
Merik LOVED the petting zoo full of pigs and goats! But he fell IN love with this black and white goat! We sat with it for at least 10 minutes while Merik talked to it, tried to feed it, let it wear his hat, and cuddled! It was so cute!
We had an incredible time just to two of us! The stock show is so fun! Yee Haw!!!

Christmas!...yeah I know i'm beind

So yes I'm a little behind on my blogging, but I promise I have a good excuse (it will follow in a blog). Christmas this year was awesome! A little backwards because of Pat's schedule but wonderful. It's so fun to have kids old enough to know what happens.

To get in the Christmas mood we picked out a tree took the kids to see Santa (fun as you can tell) and invited the Welling's over to decorate ginger bread houses.



Every year that I can remember we spend Christmas Eve at my grandparents house. As a tradition my grandpa reads the story of the Nativity from the scriptures and in goofy absolutely amateur costumes the grand kids (obviously no matter how old) act it out.



Merik was a Shepard and a darn cute one at that! I love this picture my Uncle Brad took. He just looks like an angel!


Christmas day was great! I tried really hard to upload the video of the kids Christmas morning but I haven't been able to figure it out so I gave up. Merik ran down the stairs with a giant fire truck sitting in front of the tree and picked up a little page of stickers out of his stocking and just yelled "Mom! I got stickers!!" Well dosen't take much to please him! The kids got a "stage" for Christmas. In our basement there's a mostrous finished opening for a TV I assume even though I know they don't make TV's that big anymore. They kids love to do shows in there so we hung a curtain up and, with the help of my wonderful mother, bought all the left over halloween costumes for them. They love it! It's so cute to see them dress up in all the silly outfits and dance on their stage.
The kids were absolutely spoiled, not that I'm surprised, by their grandparents. It was a wonderful holiday and we are so blessed!

Merik's 3!!!

I can't believe it but Merik is 3!! He is so adorable, smart, energetic, and crazy! He truly brings great joy, laughter, and the spirit to our family. He is incredibly grateful and kind and yesterday even said "mom, did you clean my house? Thank you, it looks incredible!"


I decided to throw him an "I can do it all by myself" birthday so he even made his invitations!



He got some great gifts at his family party including his new big-boy bike from us and this adorable hat from uncle Brady that matches his!
Cup cakes are always a hit; especially when you get to put as much frosting as you want on it!
Merik was so funny about the presents. This year it finally clicked what his birthday meant and he was jumping around and dancing when people came with gifts!
We had his first "friend" birthday and it was a BLAST! We invited 6 of his little buddies over and they did everything by themselves (messy but fun!) They decorated their own shirts, made pizzas, and decorated cup cakes.


I think he had a fun birthday! I just can't believe he's so big!!

Updates!

November....well was busy!! Thanksgiving was awesome! Most of my dad's side of the family came into town and we had a blast! True to years and years of tradition we started our day off with bowling and if you were wondering....I BEAT PAT!!!!-he'll love that I posted that! Yes there were bumpers but it's not my fault if chose to use them as part of my strategy and he didn't! Dinner was great as always and Merik and my cousin Reagan were adorable in their costumes.








A few weeks before Thanksgiving we got to travel to Utah for Baby Eden's blessing!



Karma was the perfect mother figure for baby Eden. She walked around all day collecting "binks" and bottles to bring her and was sometimes upset when Eden didn't seem int he mood for 5 "binks" at one time!
Merik became the protector of Eden. One night she was fussing in her bouncer and he quickly ran to her, began singing "I am a child of God" to her and then we heard him whisper "it's ok baby Eden I will never leave you". It was so sweet!